Badass Good Guy
by bellakitse
Summary: He's lying when he says he only kind of likes her. Spoiler for 'Special Education' Schmoop Bingo: nuzzling


Title: Bad-Ass Good Guy

Category: Glee

Genre: Romance/Friendship

Ship: Rachel/Puck- Mention Finn/Rachel

Rated: K+

Word Count: 1631

Summary: He's lying when he says he only kind of likes her. Spoiler for 'Special Education'

A/N: Thanks as always to my beta who rocks! Thanks for the title hon.

He's lying when he says he only kind of likes her. Truth is he just plainly likes Rachel Berry. Sure, she's a diva and can drive him around the bend with all her long and never-ending words. But she's honest and transparent. She might picture herself an actress but the tiny brunette wears her heart on her sleeve and all you really have to do is look into those big brown eyes to see every emotion and thought flashing through them. It's something that he appreciates after having been with Santana and Quinn − two girls who have made jerking him around down to an art form, leaving him unbalanced, never knowing what they want or expect from him. With Rachel he knows where he stands. He knows when she's attracted to him and when she thinks he's an idiot. He understands her problem with Finn sleeping with Santana. Aside from the sting of his friend's lying is her fear that she doesn't measure up to the bitchy but hot Latin cheerleader; and, while he knows Finn is slow, he finds it hard to believe that his friend just doesn't get that glaring point. But, then again, no one will ever accuse Finn of being a genius for any reason.

When he reaches out to her, he really is trying to be nice. Twenty-four hours in a porta-potty really gave him a lot of time to think and feel like the shit he was standing in for ever doing this to someone else. Still, he's not a saint and needs to take small steps to become a nice guy and being nice to his fellow Jews seems like a good place to start. When he takes her home and accepts her invitation into her house and then her bedroom, he tries to convince himself that he has self-control and nothing will happen. But then, he walks in and remembers the two times he's been in there before: the first time that led to a hot make-out session that more than once he's taken out of the spank bank to use and the second time when he was salivating at the thought of a repeat performance. She sits on her bed and he knows that before he leaves, he's going to be tasting Rachel Berry's lips again. It surprises him how excited he gets at the idea. It startles him that even when he knew it was coming, feeling her lips shyly trace his jaw line makes him jump. He has her pressed against her assortment of pillows and teddy bears without breaking the contact of her mouth and his skin, his jeans tightening as well as his hold on her when her pearly white teeth sink into his skin.

He breaks the contact to look down at her, cradled nicely in his arm and it's not the first time that he thought she looked good there, that she fits there. He brushes her bangs out of her unsure eyes. Taken over by an unusual wave of tenderness, he leans down and rubs his nose softly against hers, getting a smile out of her. She always seems to bring out this person from deep inside him without any effort. It makes him feel like a pussy but he knows there's something about the girl sighing against his mouth that makes him go soft with her. He tells his brain to shut up when she opens her mouth under his and to just enjoy the goopy feeling she seems to evoke that good, hand in hand, with a need to drown in her warmth and enjoy the warm sweet taste of her tongue against his. And he does immensely like everything else in her life. Rachel tackles making out with an intensity that if he wasn't the baddest of bad-asses, it would leave him breathless.

He's in the middle of enjoying the twisty thing she does with her tongue and wonders what that would feel like on another part of his body when guilt starts to seep in. He tries to ruthlessly push it aside but it seems his conscience has taken his good guy thing to heart cause it starts repeating Finn's name until it's all he hears. With unbelievable strength, he finds himself leaving Rachel's mouth and saying that he couldn't take another girl from his friend while his dick is threatening to pack up his balls and leave if he walks away from the willing girl in bed with him. Still, he gets up from the warm bed and finds himself backing away. He realizes as he gets into his truck and drives away why he hasn't tried being a good guy before, it suck ass. He finds himself on the verge of turning back and finishing what they started more than once as he drives home. And as he lays in his own bed frustrated and hard, he wonders if being a good guy is worth the serious case of blue balls he now has. He gets a text that answers him. A simple _'thanks'_ and he decides that yes as painful as it is, it's worth it. He won't be the bad guy in another one of Finn's relationship and if he ever wants to have a shot at Rachel Berry, its best he stops now. As he falls into a fitful sleep, he ignores the fact that he _does_ want a shot at Rachel Berry.

He sits quietly in the greenroom watching the scene unfold, wondering how he, the groups 'asshole' can see the hurt their resident diva is experiencing and the rest are either not noticing or not caring as Finn yells at her and Santana proclaims to everyone that no one likes her. He pipes in that he does while silently promising himself to never touch Santana again. He realizes as he watches her talk down to Rachel that she truly is ugly on the inside and takes real enjoyment of tearing others down.

He has a flash of annoyance at Mr. Shue for making Rachel fawn over Santana before she sings 'Valerie'. He's amazed and a bit proud of her as she gets through it with a smile on her face, never breaking character. They tied with Kurt's new school and he notices that she's been rooting for Kurt more than anyone all night. So much for her not being a team player.

The next day there are two things circling around the halls of McKinley High: one, Ms. Pillsbury is now Mrs. Pillsbury-Howell and, two, that 'Finchel' is no more. If he wonders what happened, he stops the moment he walks into the music room and Finn half glares at him. He raises an eyebrow at his friend and when Finn simply rolls his eyes, he knows that while Finn is pissed he's not back at zero with him. He comes up behind Rachel as they gather around the piano and lays his hand on her hip, giving it a small squeeze as she tells Mr. Shue that Mercedes and Tina should sing instead of her. It's a while after they've finished 'The dog days are over' and everyone has left the auditorium that he finds her sitting on the edge of the stage looking down at her feet. He silently takes the spot next to her, his hand resting on hers.

"So you told Finn." It's not a question of course.

Her murmured 'had to' isn't a surprise.

"Figured as much," he states and continues when she sends him a questioning glace. "The looks he sends my way were a tip-off."

He feels bad for saying anything when she has a grimace on her face. And he tells her not to worry about it as she says she's sorry. He's looking at her when he notices the lack of a certain jewelry. The word 'Finn' no longer adorning her neck.

"You okay?"

She sighs and for a moment he's afraid she's going to cry but when she looks up at him there's sadness in her eyes but luckily no tears. "I'm not sure."

"I'm sorry for my part in it, Rachel."

She shakes her head. "Don't be, I wanted to hurt him, sure… but I can't deny that wasn't the only reason I did it."

"You want the Puck man." He jokes, hoping for a laugh.

She chuckles softly while rolling her eyes and whispers something that sounded like 'I'm not dead, you know.'

It's ridiculous and he'll deny it till the end of time but those five words filled him with more joy than he cares to admit. She sighs again and he finds himself placing his arm around her shoulder and pulling her in close. He tells his dick to sit the hell down when her face finds the nook of his neck and her nose nuzzles it, rubbing back and forth against his skin, waking up every part of him. He keeps telling himself to behave when she breathes his name across his flesh. Giving in, he brings his hand to her chin, tipping her face to his, lowering his mouth to hers. He gives her the barest hint of a kiss there, then her nose and finally her forehead before sinking his face into her sweet smelling hair while she circles her arms around his waist. He whispers that it will be okay as she starts to sniffle and as he nestles in her raven locks, he finally stops denying that he wants a shot at her. It's likely not to be now, chances are his friend will get his head out of his ass and they'll get back together, but someday, he'll get his shot. For now, for the first time he's okay with just holding her.


End file.
